Much Much More
by myheartsegg
Summary: Aomine liked to think he knew Tetsu like the back of his hand. He had to, because his shadow was just that important (to him). To Aomine, he meant that and much much more. A study of what Aomine thinks of Kuroko in his spare time. Oneshot.


Aomine liked to think that he knew Kuroko like the back of his hand. In fact, there were many facts he could name about his partner:

1) His shadow wasn't expressionless as many people liked to think- or were led to think. In fact, he was very expressive if one knew how to look for it. It was just that he showed himself in a different way from the norm. Tetsu was full of different faces and emotions, but secretly so. He didn't like it when people looked right through him. That would negate his purpose as a shadow. Unpredictable, and ever changing with the light, ready to switch gears in a moment.

Aomine found it wasn't a surprise that he was just as expressive as the people he hung out with- which was a lot of (loud) people. He guessed you could call it his special quirk; just like all the rest of the Generation of Miracles, he was no different. Kuroko was still a wierdo on the inside, no matter how he tried to escape it. Like the saying goes, "Birds of a feather, flock together." and he was DEFINITELY in their flock.

Just by looking closely and spending enough time with him would reveal the different emotions that spilled out through his eyes and the small smiles that would bloom on his lips. Whenever that happened, the corners of his mouth would pull upwards with just the slightest twitch, but enough that those trained to see it saw a smile on it's own. Aomine was fortunate to get full on smiles from him, he knew that as a solid fact.

2) Tetsu also had the best laugh Aomine had ever heard. With breathless wheezing that sounded a bit like one was trying really hard not to laugh, Tetsu's face would light up in happiness that never showed, but _radiated _off of him in waves. It was breathtaking.

3) Kuroko Tetsuya was amazing. Put that on a test and he would ace it. Actually, give him a test about his partner, and he could would get the bonus marks too (on top of the already perfect score).

If they had a field dedicated only to studying Kuroko, he'd have his degree in no time. He'd just stroll in there, do his thesis and become the first to get a Doctorate on Kuroko-ology... or was it Tetsu-ology? Meh, what did he care? For all he knew, it could become Kuroko Tetsuya-ology. Though maybe the name was a bit to long.

Pfft, either way, he liked Tetsu-ology best. Yep. And he would be the leading researcher for all the fields concerning the small shadow.

4) That brought another thought to mind. Kuroko wasn't small. He was actually rather average.

Other than his round, owlish eyes and that shock of sky blue hair that matched it, he was as normal as someone could get. He was average height, average smarts, maybe a bit below average in his physical state, but his skills and determination were more than enough to make up for that.

If anything, Tetsu was thin and wiry, with lean muscle that just made him look small compared to all the other giants that surrounded him- Aomine included. Actually, no one could look manly if Murasakibara stood beside them; the giant was just too huge for his own good. There was basically no one that gave off a more intimidating aura than the purple giant that towered over you... Other than Akashi and the rest of the Miracles of course.

5) The shadow may have been small, but that did nothing to deter him of his manliness. Out of all the people Aomine and Satsuki knew (and that was a lot of people on Satsuki's side), Tetsu was the most manly. Even more so than himself, the tanned teen had to grudgingly admit.

6) Tetsu was every bit as stubborn and bull-headed as an iron block, and was never willing to back down from his ideals- and his ideals were good. They were kind and just and maybe even the littlest bit selfish, if that meant that his wish was for others' selves.

Never one to judge a book by it's cover, Tetsu observed quietly and stepped in whenever he felt the need to. He picked and chose his battles, and usually, he won. But even as great of a trait as that was, his sense of justice sometimes got the better of him and Tetsu's lack of fighting muscles left him at a disadvantage of more than average people.

But that was why Aomine was his partner. To back him up when he needed it and to stay by his side.

7) There was absolutely no reason why he would leave unless it was Tetsu himself that told him to get out. However, Aomine knew that would never happen.

Kuroko's sense of family and friendship wouldn't allow him to do that. No matter what anyone did, Tetsu would look at that person from within their mind and discover just the right buttons to push to bring them back. He would never abandon them, no matter the risks or the steps he had to take.

Aomine knew by first hand experience. Kuroko was one of the most protective people to ever defend Aomine when he got into an argument not started by one of his actions. One time, the ganguro was told off severely by one of the seniors in their middle school and the next day, the poor guy that did it was sent to the psychiatric ward for spouting off about being verbally abused by a ghost. Aomine watched his partner that day only to see a glint of evil and suppressed satisfaction gleaming in his eyes.

8) Tetsu was an oxymoron in and of itself. Aomine could name all the contradictions that came with one Kuroko Tetsuya:

a. Tetsu was beautiful. Beautiful in the way he played basketball; beautiful in his determination to never give up; beautiful in all the ways Aomine was ugly. He was truly and utterly - inside and out - beautiful. And yet he was average. Average in everything. There was not one single thing that stood out about him. He was not flashy like Kise in his looks, nor was he smart like Midorima, or intimidating like Murasakibara or Akashi.

No; He was so _normal _that his normalcy was _abnormal. _It was the strangest thing.

b. Kuroko was also like a mama bear. He was possessive and protective and encouraging and always accepting.

But he could also be the cub. He wanted to be loved, and needed to be protected ('cause he was fragile in the way he couldn't hold a candle's flame to those other guys that like to pick fights and throw punches). Tetsu needed support when he was down, and Aomine was willing to give that. Willing to give the recognition that the other longed for in the days that he was forgotten like nothing but a mere afterimage.

The ganguro would give that to him, because he meant that much.

Aomine couldn't even name all that Tetsu was to him because he was that and much, much more. So much more that it hurt his brain to think of all the redeeming qualities the other had.

So Aomine settled with the only thing that summed up his partner, his shadow, his friend... His _best_ friend.

_Tetsu._


End file.
